REVIEW: DISTURBED and BREAKING BENJAMIN

The world of Metal or Hard Rock music is a very strange landscape these days. Different levels of “power” or “message” can classify a band as a certain sub-genre of the overall scene and such classification can affect the radio play or access to an audience for said band. Every now and again, though, a band comes along that transcends such “labels”, and on Wednesday, July 13th, four such acts all came together for an amazing evening of ear smashing metal.

Disturbed, Breaking Benjamin, Alter Bridge and St. Asonia all graced the same stage at Blossom Music Center, and I’m not sure that the sound has yet to stop vibrating off the hills and trees that surround this amazing outdoor venue.

Unfortunately, due to traffic and the crazy parking situation at Blossom, I totally missed St. Asonia’s short set, but word around the venue was that they nailed it. Sorry I missed their set, but I’ll catch them next time. Actually, I missed a portion of Alter Bridge as well, but I was able to see enough to realize that these guys are a well-oiled machine. For those of you who don’t know the band, it’s three of the original members of Creed with Myles Kennedy now handling vocal duties. They perform no Creed songs – just their own original material and their songs and live performance are amazing. Those who are aware of them love them, but for whatever reason, the band has yet to break anything mainstream, and as a result, the majority of the audience at this show seemed to have no idea who or what they were listening to. That is kind of a shame because this is one of the tightest most well-rehearsed acts I’ve seen in a while; if you’re not familiar with them, remedy that right now.

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With the two openers wrapped for the evening, it was time for Breaking Benjamin to hit the stage. The now five-member group attacked the stage hard, but it was kind of obvious early on that some kind of sound issue was afoot. However, the fans were so excited to see the band back on the stage, I really don’t think anyone noticed the technical issues. As a true professional troupe will do, the band powered past the issues, things leveled out, and by the fourth or fifth song, the sound issues had been resolved; things were rocking hard. This band has been totally retooled, literally; the only original member is singer, Benjamin Burnley. Just coming off a self-imposed, nearly five-year hiatus, this revamped lineup appears to still be getting used to each other a bit, but overall, the sound is good. On the songs that this line up originated – songs from the new album Dark Before Dawn – they are tight and precise. Some of the older material seemed a little “off”; most notable for me was the song “Breath” off the band’s Phobia album, which just didn’t seem to have the power I remember it once having. It sounded okay, but I remember it shaking my world before. Again, though, these guys are a solid band, and the talent is obvious. I think just a bit more gel time is needed, and those old hits will be every bit as sharp and pointed as the new stuff. Overall, they performed a powerful, fast-moving set that those in attendance loved every second of, and it perfectly set the stage for the headliner – Disturbed.

Disturbed is a force of nature and have been kicking ass since the year 2000, and as their sound has grown, so has their audience. A strong case could be made that they are the reigning kings of metal, and they’ve got a huge hit on their hands right now with their rather unexpected take on Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence”. Not exactly a song you would expect from a band like Disturbed but…. it works, and it works well. Anyway, like an earthquake, Disturbed hit the stage. “Ten Thousand Fists” is their opener, and as the song would suggest, the nearly sold out crowd obliged the lyrics and put those fists in the air. Disturbed is one of those bands that seem to thrive off their audience – absorbing the energy that the fans are throwing at the stage and using it to somehow ramp up their performance and their sound to yet another level. The live versions of their songs just seem to have an extra edge that make them a must see live act.

About three songs in, Mother Nature decided she was a Disturbed fan and started putting on a show of her own. David Draiman stopped the show and told everyone that bad weather was heading in and that everyone needed to seek shelter immediately. Insanity ensued as a lot of folks headed for the parking lot and even more tried to squeeze into the already jam-packed pavilion while a nasty ass thunderstorm blew through. Everyone was beyond cool, though, and the storm passed fairly quickly; the band retook the stage and continued on as if nothing happened.

The band kept the stage show light side this time around. A simple single tone backdrop and a wealth of pyro was pretty much it. The stage was basically empty except for the drum riser and the band themselves. Disturbed seems to like to let the power of their message be what the fans remember, and I think that is exactly what happened.

For me, the highlights of the show were the band’s performance of two songs from their latest release: “The Light” is a great song that is actually better in a live setting, a powerful song with an important message that manages to mean even more when tens of thousands of other folks are singing it along with you, and the aforementioned cover of “The Sound of Silence” which is a breathtaking thing to behold. Draiman’s powerful vocal style really shines the brightest it ever has on this number.

Of course the night had to end with “Down With The Sickness”, and the band exited the stage leaving the fans hungry for more – just as they should.

What more can you ask for? Four hard rocking bands and a major thunderstorm – it just can’t get better than that. If you get the chance to see any of these bands, together or separately, do yourself a favor and make it happen.

Dave Dreher
A lifelong fan of horror and metal, working at Rock Revolt seems to make perfect sense. Dave also writes for Diabolique Magazine, The Horror Channel, SQ Horror Magazine and Gruesome Magazine. Also an avid podcaster you can catch him at Horror News Radio and several other of the Gruesome Magazine podcasts.